“It’s the only way I could live,” explained Airi Hirase, a Japanese influencer who has undergone more than 20 plastic surgeries in an attempt to escape the emotional trauma of her childhood, where she endured endless abuse from her mother and other kids.
Believing she was ugly and looked like her father who abandoned them to a life of crippling debt, Hirase spent around 24 million yen ($170,000) to “finally be beautiful,” becoming completely unrecognizable in the process.
The influencer had her first procedure done at 19 and recently shared before-and-after photos of her transformation, where the entire structure of her face has been altered to achieve an almost doll-like appearance.
Hirase shared the comparison as part of a collaboration with her surgeon, Dr. Sagara, as unlike many patients who undergo numerous interventions and make headlines for their botched results, her’s was massively successful, allowing her to become a model.
Japanese model goes viral after sharing extreme before-and-after photos of her plastic surgery transformation; the result of more than 20 procedures costing around 24 million yen
Bigger eyes, slimmer nose, shaved jawline, chin implant, restructuring of her eyebrows, and even seemingly whiter skin, are just a few of the changes that are immediately apparent to the layman eye upon looking at how Hirase looked in 2019, and after her surgeries in 2024.
“She’s so cute! And she put in a lot of effort which I really respect,” wrote one of her fans on Instagram.
Recent pictures on her social media show that Hirase has added massive breast implants to her body as well, allowing her to be featured on adult magazines like Weekly Playboy, where she was described as having the body of a “realistic sex doll,” and as the “24 million proof” that anyone can become beautiful if they have the cash.
Despite some critics attacking her for her drastic transformation and the nature of her current work, a lifetime of being bullied has taught Hirase to ignore the negative noise around her, and she claims to be happy to have finally achieved her lifelong dream of not only becoming, but feeling beautiful.
Coming from a humble background, she had to work low-wage, physically demanding jobs in order to save enough money for her transformation
Hirase’s road to beauty started early as, at age 15, the idea of transforming her body through plastic surgery became an anchor to resist the emotional pain her past had caused her, and hope of an escape.
At age 16, instead of turning to drugs or other self-destructive behaviors, the model instead started working part-time and saving money. No job was too hard or physical for her, as she worked as a security guard, as a store clerk, and even as a moving assistant, carrying heavy furniture to make ends meet.
Over the next eight years, she was able to save 10 million yen ($70,000) enough to pay for the initial batch of surgeries that completely changed her appearance.
The model cited childhood trauma from her mother and classmates as the main culprits behind her self-esteem issues
Hirase’s pain comes from a lifetime of abuse that started with her mother. Calling her ugly and saying that she looked like her absentee father, she was taught that her appearance made her unworthy of love.
“If I hadn’t been abused by my mother, I wouldn’t have turned to cosmetic surgery,” she explained.
She was also relentlessly bullied by her classmates, who told her repeatedly that she “looked like a man.” The humiliation she endured led her to often break mirrors, and even try to take her own life at one point.
Despite her struggles, the model went on to reveal that she hopes to have children herself one day, and that she will strive to “never be like [her] mother,” and to provide them with the love and care she never received.
Netizens congratulated the model for making her dream come true and felt inspired by the effort she put in saving the money to pay for her treatments
Hirase’s fans have flooded her social media with positive comments, with most congratulating her for her determination in achieving her dream.
“This is inspiring. Makes me believe that with enough effort you can achieve anything,” wrote one of her followers.
“You are really an amazing and hardworking person. You have become very beautiful,” stated another.
“I hope her surgery has helped her heal beyond her looks. Childhood trauma runs deep,” said a western user.
Not all comments are positive, however, with critics believing that throwing money at a problem, plastic surgery in this case, is not a sign of effort.
“The true meaning of effort is to improve oneself. Saving up money for plastic surgery is not self improvement at all,” one user stated.
“This is different from makeup or dieting. Plastic surgery is cheating.”
“Good on her,” wrote one viewer, as others joined in to congratulate the model for pursuing her happiness no matter what others would say
